Great forum you have here. I've been doing a lot of browsing through past threads but one thing I could not find was the reliability of buying a GL 2 used.

Reason being, a friend through a friend has one 'for sale'..AKA, if the price is right he'll sell it. Anyway, the model is two years old and comes with a fisheye and I believe an extra battery. He says he 'babied' it and I believe him. The camera looks like it just came out of the box and hasn't been used in the last few months. He also mentioned the tape head had been repaired/replaced.

Here's the dilemma. He wants $1500 for it when I know you can get one (with rebate/$250) for around $1900 including tax/shipping.

Should I just spend the extra 400-500 on a new one? Offer something like, $1200 cash and see if he budges?

Thanks a lot for taking the time to look at my post and (hopefully) aiding some insight.

Thank you. Other things that bother me are of course: warranty, reliability, etc. I guess what I'm asking, 'Is it better to buy it new so you get the warranty?' or is a used one going to be OK and last me three years or so.

I'll check out that section. Thanks again!

edit: Looks like I'll have to wait a bit to get access to that part of the forum. I think if one logs out he/she can see the forum (but not post).

I'm fairly confident anyone with an average pocketbook that buys what would be considered a major purchase of any product, would in fact "baby" it. The price is not bad if it includes all extras like the fish-eye, battery, and possibly other items. I'm curious about the reason for a near perfect camera to already have the head mechanism replaced? Was it under warranty for that repair? Does he have the repair receipt? What was his primary use for the camera?

I guess I'm only saying; if it feels right do it, but if you have any concerns, just walk away.

i second what david said. i have bought lots of used gear, including high end cameras (FX-1, 1DsMarkII) and have saved thousands. but only when the transaction felt right. i bought my cameras from reputable strangers, one here at dvinfo. i wouldn't put myself in the position of damaging a friendship over a camera purchase, in the event something happens to the camera (and remember, things DO happen with these cameras....).

you can save a ton of money, but the risk is yours. there is so much lightly used gear out there, and i've saved thousands by buying used and only had one transaction that i would have characterized as somewhat negative (the seller did not disclose that he was a smoker), but fortunately that one only set me back fifty bucks (for a used bag). the money saved is worth the risk, to me. but there is a calculated risk. and it can be a little stressful, sending $$$ into the void. just buy from someone who is a long-time board member, and you should be fine.

Spend the cash on a new one...maybe. Be aware that the GL2 has a notorious REMOVE CASSETTE screen of death that afflicts many, many people. This may happen at any time. It may never. The warranty really pays off if you have a disasterous malfunction.

I just sent almost $3,000 into the void on an XL2 from a seller here at DVINFO and it was probably one of the smartest purchases I've ever made. I trust people around here, particularly because of the Real Names policy and the ability to see if they've been around a while.

The GL2 is pretty robust, other than the REMOVE CASSETTE problem, so I don't see a problem with it lasting for an extended period of time. I have beaten the mother loving s#@t out of mine and it's fine. Just keep it clean and dry.